Opinions on parting out Mavericks

I've actually wanted to ask this question for some time, but never actually have.

I am a member of a message board that deals specifically with the four eye mustangs, 79-86 only models. These models are gaining in popularity big time, but often, they carry the stigma of "the older fox bodied mustangs" and people use them and abuse them as parts cars, they put newer 87-93 front ends on the, etc which is just wrong. In fact, #'s have been greatly dwindling, because of how many were parted, and because these fox mustangs are 20 years old now.

I've kinda always associated, therefore my 86 mustang with my 72 maverick in the sense that they have always both been the underdog. The maverick overshadowed by the 60's mustangs, and the four eye mustangs overshadowed by the 87-93 mustangs. Both, in recent years have begun to attract great attention and finally demand high value.

My point???

This mustang board (www.foureyedpride.com) has a STRICT policy AGAINST parting out ANY 79-86 mustang which is deemed restorable. Like it or not, those are the rules of that board, and a vast majority of the members on that board passionately agree with that rule. Obviously, any car that has rusted to the ground, or wrecked bad can be parted, but if someone comes onto that board trying to sell parts off of say an 84 mustang (even if it's a four banger) and the car is almost a shell, that car is still restorable and therefor no parts can be sold on that site, because they do not advocate the further destruction of the four eye mustangs.

Don't get me wrong, in no way whatsoever am I proprosing that for this site.

I have always been curious as to how people feel on this site about that. The mavericks are more rare now than the four eye mustangs, yet it is pretty common for people to grab em up and strip em on this site, hell, even ones that run. In my book, I could never strip a running maverick, even if its a 77 4 door 6 cylinder (sorry 4 dr guys)

Just hoping to start a civil discussion in this matter so I can be educated.

I actually have a small startup business selling mustang parts (and mav parts when I can find them) and buy and strip the occasional wrecked mustang when I come across one, but I have never been able to convince myself to buy a cheap but running mustang/maverick and strip it solely for parts. This would really be financially feasable for me, but I just don't have the heart, and I guess I'm looking for exuses/reasons why others do/can.

 

Jeremy, you and I think alike. I would never ever part out a restorable Maverick or comet. I have saved cars that others said were unrestorable. It takes a true love of a car to do that. While this is a free country and people can do whatever they want with their hard earned money, I would like to think that good cars will be saved, 2dr and 4 dr.

Dan

 

The only difference is that Fox Body Mustangs are plentiful in Salvage yards for parts. Many parts are easily interchanged with Mustangs all the way up to 1993 and new and reproduction parts are readily available. If nobody were to part out Mavericks ... none could be restored unless you found all NOS parts or a rust-free wreck ... yeah right. I don't think anyone would part out a rust free Maverick. Lot's of guys actually switch their restoration from their project car to their parts car becuase the parts car ends up to be in better condition. I see no problem parting out a beater as long as no parts are wasted. Used Maverick parts always seem to find a good home. If that were the case ... only Grabbers would have Grabber hoods and rear spoiler's ...

 

I have parted out lots of Mavericks. I also parted out a "restorable" 1969 Ford Torino GT Fastback. Sure...it was restorable.....but it would have cost a lot of money to do so....so I deemed it a parts car.

Some of the Mavericks I have parted out were running/driving cars. The last Comet I parted out was driven 100 miles to my house to be sold to me. He was pulled over on the way to my house and issued a warning ticket due to the unsafe condition of his car.

My thoughts: If it has severe rust in the frame or torque boxes...or if it would be too costly to try and "restore"...it gets parted out and lives on in other MavCom's

 

The only way I would part out a maverick is if the frame rails were bent or rusty torque boxes can be fixed alot easier than the frame

 

Who is going judge what is restorable? Who is going to establish the standards that are used in judging? Are we going to establish a board of standards? Are we going to establish criteria to choose certain individuals to sit on a board and establish these standards? Restorable, like beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Remember that old saying, "One man's junk becomes another man's treasure." I recently paid $50 for a "part cars" from a member of this board. He had plucked what he wanted; basically left a shell with no doors, hood, or dash; and even threw some other unwanted parts into the car. He wanted it out of his driveway. I bought it for some sheet metal parts. After getting it home, I realized that it would make a good drag car. I have neither the inclination nor funds to restore the Mav. I do want a quarter-miler and willing to spend the funds for that. So I'm not going to remove any sheet metal. So...who is right...the guy who sold the car as junkable or the guy who now decides it can become a dragster?

I am really going to catch it with this next opinion....

If Ford would stand behind the restoration of their older cars like GM, we wouldn't need this discussion. You can buy new parts and build a new Camaro, Nova, Chevelle, Firebird, Cutlass, etc. Which Ford models can you build new? Only the 64 thru 70 Mustangs...period. It's not just licensed parts makers that will provide you new parts for the '60's Chevy, you can still get a lot of 'em from the dealer! Before you rebutt with "there are a lot of those cars still around," do you really think Chevy made more '67 thru '69 Camaros than Ford made 70 thru 77 Mavericks?

I belong to the Ford Galaxie Club of America. We recently had a discussion where a vendor of old Ford parts and a sponsor of the club, Obsolete Ford Parts in Oklahoma, was being forced to drop the Ford name from their name...by the Ford attorneys! Ludicrous!

The car hobby is individualistic. It's my car, I do what I want with it. I don't like Chevy drivetrains in any Ford or Mercury, but that is my opinion. I don't like wheels bigger than 17". Again, my opinion.

One last thought, should we take dsic brake parts off restorable Granadas for our Mavericks and Comets?

Off the soap box...

 

Some interesting points here. To Hawco's point about GM support in the aftermarket - I don't know if GM offers more support or maybe it is just a popularity and economics thing...but there sure is a lot of good quality GM aftermarket stuff out there. It seems like all you need is a good title, VIN plate and a big fat wad of cash and you can build close to 10 GM cars with nothing but aftermarket parts. Other than the 64-69 Mustangs that Hawco listed - the only other Fords I know of that even come close to this status are maybe a 55-56 F-100 and the early 70's Bronco's (and that is only because there are a couple of companies that make complete glass bodies) and maybe some early street rods (but I count those kit cars in my opinion).

Cleaver

 

Well, IMO the bottom line is this............
If "Jerry" comes across a MavCom for $50 and then decides its to far gone for him to work with.......he has 2 choice:
1. Sell it for $50 to someone that DOES think its restorable.
2. Part it out and make $500 profit on the useable parts.

***What would you do if you was "Jerry"?

 

As Shakespeare so eloquently put it in the play, Hamlet...

"Ahh, there's the rub."

 

As acornridgeman posted above with China

Here in my area there was a large local yard that had at least 7-10 CoMAvs last spring. I wish I knew that they were going to crush their entire stock of 60's and 70's cars cause now there is not one CoMav left . The kicker is I was trying to get ahead in saving a little money to get a few items I wanted now there is nothing in just 6 months time??

 

To answer the original question, I believe All MavComs (or CoMavs) should be saved if they're not totally wrecked or totally rusted. I say this because I'm a MavCom enthusiast and want to see the numbers grow, not dwindle.

In my experience however, it usually always comes down to money. I see a lot of folks who have one or 2 cars that are restored and now that they have what they want and have some experience with a certain model as far as what parts are hard to find, they decide to go into the parts business for profit. Kind of like "I've got mine so why should I care about the others".

I've seen many usable MavComs stripped and crushed because of folks who care more about the dollar value of the parts than saving a whole car. Personally I'm in this for the good of the hobby, not to make money. I go to work for that. I can count on one hand the number of parts I've sold. I would rather make a trade if possible and the only time I ask for money is for shipping or when I end up going to a lot of trouble to get a part and I know the person isn't really interested anyway.

Just my thoughts.

Sam

 

Good opinions here.


i fall dead even along the lines, I agree with both sides.

on one side I agree it is impossible to save them all, that the strong survive, and save the ones you can. I am trying like hell to start a business that will take off, as I have a good amount of specialized experience now. I'm not sure if I will start a mustang/old ford specific salvage operation, or get into the aftermarket performance segment,...which is what I want to do, but I'm afraid that markets over saturated right now.

On the other note, the given site draws the lines quite simple. If the car is wrecked, and there is significant frame damage, fine. If it's a fender bender with no frame damage, that's not fine.

If you have little holes in the floor pan, but that's it, not fine. If the car is rust even, fine, part it. that's pretty much it. Even if a car has been stripped to the shell, but the shell is good, it shouldn't have been parted.

I do think that that is extreme. However, I can personally say I can think of 2, maybe 3 cars that I have NOT parted out because of that. I waited and waited until I could find a good home for them. one of them is now getting a full restoration supervised by me by my bros best friend, and the other was an ssp (police) mustang that was hauled off to Montana for a resto.

I think, in the end, I'm not going to let the "I won't part out a restorable car, period" thing dictate my life. If I find a four banger mustang, I'll consider stripping it.

what I currently do is offer up any car I might buy on all my web sites, for restoration, and I'll honestly try to get the car restored, vs stripped. After I've offered the car up, I consider it fair game for parts. However, I will likely never strip a car that is running and driveable.

 

I don't have a problem with parting out cars because there is no way to buy all the stuff NOS. If one Mav dies so another can live, I'm all for it. Let's face it, where are Mav guys or 4 eye Mustang guys gonna get some of these parts, anyway? Seems a little short sighted to be so draconian about it.

 

I believe that if a Maverick or Comet can be fxed up and restored, it should not be parted out. But then, a lot depends on how much work and money is involved in the restoration. Everything boils down to what can be considered to be restorable and what can't. If the frame has turned to dust, or if the car is wrecked beyond repair or just plain jerry-rigged to the point of no return, then it might make for a good parts car. There in lays the catch: sad to say, we need parts cars. We can't in all reality save them all, and as long as there is a limited avalibility of remanufactured body panels and such, the parts cars will be nessary to keep our cars going. I can give a near perfect example of what happens when there are little or no parts avalible for a certain type of car. A few years back, we did a restoration on an AMC Marlin. For all practical purposses, the car should have gone to the junkyard. It was, in all honesty, beyond repair. But the owner would not give up on it. He had several of them tucked away in a barn, all pulled from junkyards, and not a single one had any useable parts on them. Why you ask? Because absolutley NO ONE makes any replacement panels for them. It seems nearly all of the Marlins have gone the way of the crusher, and now there are very few left on the road and even fewer parts left for them. In time, that car will become extinct because no one wants to bother reproducing parts for them. We, as Maverick and Comet owners, face the same parts problem, only not so severe. There are at least a few places that are reproducing some of the parts we need and I believe there is a much greater interest in our cars than the lowly Marlin. But until more companies wake up and see just how much interest there is in our cars and start making body panels and other 'must have' replacement parts, the mavericks that become parts cars will be an nessasary evil. Save as many drivable Mavericks and Comets as we can, and when and if they they must become parts cars, save as many usable parts as we can.